About this Guide

The Seattle Central College Library's Multicultural Guide is a non-exhaustive, dynamic resource intended to serve the diverse needs of staff and students. Our communities have a great deal of support in King County, and knowing where to look for assistance and camaraderie in stressful times is important. Remember, we are stronger together!

Teaching Resources

Feedback? Questions? Comments?

Feedback? Questions? Comments?

Statement from the President of Seattle Central College

The following is an excerpt of a statement by Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D., President of Seattle Central College. Click here for the full statement.

"Reflected in our Core Values, which strengthen the mission of the college, is the commitment to create a learning environment that is: accessible in providing a safe, healthy and barrier–free campus with learning opportunities to students from varied backgrounds and circumstances; diverse in our valuing of different cultures, races, lifestyles and learning styles; responsive in promoting programs to reflect and anticipate community needs and an international focus in curricula and services; and innovative as we practice a holistic model of student growth and learning.

Seattle Central College is deeply invested in the educational foundations that support equity, social justice and student success."

AFT Statement of Support

AFT Statement of Support for Our Students, Colleagues, and Communities

Adopted by AFT Seattle Local 1789 and AFT Seattle Pro-Staff Local 6550

"As Faculty members and Professional staff, we are committed to visibly promote safe workplaces, classrooms and communities, especially in the current climate of hate and fear that is taking a toll on our campus and campuses around the country. As educators, we must act to defend the ideals upon which our college is founded and the people who bring them to life. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim, Jewish, immigrant, undocumented, LGBTQ, disabled, black, brown, women and all students and staff who now feel their lives, safety, and/or access to resources threatened; and we make the following commitments to protect our community and our shared values:

* We will not voluntarily cooperate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless legally compelled by a warrant or subpoena for specific individuals.

* We will strictly follow FERPA guidelines and refuse to voluntarily release academic records, employment records, or membership lists of organizations to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or other law enforcement agencies targeting members of the campus community solely on the basis of their immigration status, religion, racial or ethnic background, sex or gender identity, sexual preference, union affiliation, or political affiliation.

* We will defend the principles of academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas from political interference. Specifically we decry and defend against the un-American practice of blacklisting faculty, whether they are tenured, untenured, or non-tenure-track. We must similarly defend the free association rights of campus workers, students and their respective organizations.

* We will aggressively protect the civil rights of all members of the campus community from crime. This must include coordinated institutional action to protect campus workers, students, and instructional staff against hate crimes and sexual assault, ensuring their physical safety, and providing for their ability to conduct their work and studies in an environment free from intimidation and discrimination. This necessarily involves continued use of the guidelines for handling sexual assault cases released by the Office for Civil Rights on April 4,

2011 and expanded upon on April 29, 2014, and preserving the guidance regarding transgender students released on May 13, 2016.

* We will do everything we can to provide the financial, academic, and social supports to students, faculty, and campus workers that are necessary to ensure true educational opportunity and economic well-being, recognizing that these supports are particularly vital for members of the campus community who may be the targets of government or private action solely on the basis of their immigration status, religion, racial or ethnic background, sex or gender identity, sexual preference, or political affiliation.

What we are facing is unprecedented; our response must also be unprecedented. As we make this commitment to stand with our students, our colleagues, and our community, we remain mindful of our nation’s history. We remember the genocide of indigenous peoples; we remember the enslavement of millions of persons of African descent, and the Jim Crow era of racial segregation; we remember the forced internment of over 120,000 persons of Japanese descent during World War Two; we remain aware of the continued mass incarceration of over two million human beings caught in the trap of the U.S. prison industrial complex; and we do not forget that our broken immigration system forces millions of people to live under constant threat of violence, exploitation, and deportation. We pledge to work together to learn from and break this historical cycle of oppression. We pledge during this time of great challenge and uncertainty to proactively reject any attacks against our campus community, especially against those of us who are most vulnerable.

As faculty and staff, we ask that our college administration join us in taking action to defend our campus community by publicly adopting the commitments outlined in this statement. In so doing, our leadership affirms our college’s core academic mission and commits to supporting the students, faculty, and campus workers who live this mission on a daily basis. As faculty and staff we believe that we can remain committed to changing lives through education only if we stand together to proactively oppose any federal policies or executive actions that threaten our ability to remain a safe and inclusive institution for all of our students and colleagues.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate across our institution, and we believe that in working together to face the challenges of this moment, we strengthen the bonds and transformative promise of all the diverse individuals, groups and communities that constitute the Seattle Colleges family."

Statements of Support

The following are further statements of support from city and state leaders, expressing their committed support to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Stand as One: Councilmember M. Lorena González's statement announcing the passing of the resolution declaring Seattle to be a Welcoming City.

Seattle Central Office of Multicultural Services: Campus Resource! Aims to promote institutional responsiveness to the needs of students of color and students of diverse cultural backgrounds. Also provides leadership for the development and implementation of services, programs, projects, and curriculum that promote diversity, equality, and social justice.

Seattle Central College MESA: Campus Resource! Mathematics, Engineering, and Scientific Achievement help for underrepresented students planning to transfer to a four-year institution.

Seattle Public Library Housing and Referrals: Offers a community resource specialist on site that "can connect patrons to an array of services, including housing, behavioral health counseling, vocational training, food assistance, legal support, domestic violence support, medical care and more."

Washington Information Network (WIN-211): Calling 2-1-1 will connect you to health and human service information and referrals and other assistance. Also includes resource lists for services in King County.

Washington State Labor and Resource Center: "The Labor Center works with unions, community-based organizations and within colleges throughout Washington State to provide trainings and classes for and about working people."

West Seattle Food Bank: "West Seattle Food Bank is committed to providing food security and community connections to our neighbors in need." Includes a resource list for other food services, shelters, lifelines, and more.

Youth Eastside Services: Counseling, substance abuse treatment, education and psychiatric services in East King County. YES works with persons ages birth to 22 and their families.